Sunday, January 10, 2016

a different perspective

The key to good photography is perspective. The key to excellent photography is having the ability to capture different perspectives of the same object. It's incredible how a different view of something that might be quite common place can offer us new insights.

I had an experience of this today whilst talking to a good friend. We were speaking about the topic of temporality when she said something quite astounding.

"I find comfort in the temporality of this world."

It invoked a lot of curiosity in me as for most of us, it is the very temporality of our lives that causes us great anxiety and fear. Whether it be death itself or the "mini-deaths" we experience in our day to day lives that manifest in the form of change (i.e. whether it be successes or failures), suffice it to say, impermanence is something that does not sit well with most of us.

And so, I asked her what specifically brought her comfort. Her answer was simple but profound.

When we understand that the world and everything in it is temporary, it has the capacity to take a lot of pressure off of us.

Let me elaborate. Relationships, whether personal or professional affect us greatly. The words and behaviours of others can wreck havoc on our ego and emotions. However, if we view those same experiences through this perspective of temporality, it can invoke greater peace within us. How so? Because we recognize that those words or behaviours have a limited shelf life and in due course come to the conclusion that defining our value and self-worth on something that can change and fluctuate so quickly is a bad investment.

We learn not to take ourselves (and our ego!) so seriously. We become more compassionate with ourselves and others. And for some, we can start taking risks. Whether it be volunteering to give a presentation (which we would have never dreamt of doing!) or learning how to compromise in a situation where we really want to do things our way, recognizing that everything is temporary truly can take the pressure off.

What would you be inspired to do if the pressure was taken off of you?


  1. Very true. I have to constantly remind myself not to take the experiences of this world so seriously. There's something wonderful about being serious about your life. But we can also lose perspective, if we're not careful, as you nicely laid out. Thank you for the reminder from your perspective.

    1. I love your point about the need for balance. Both are necessary in order to live a holistic, purposeful life. It's understanding when and where we should be light-hearted or grave that often poses the greatest challenge for those who attempt to live a conscious life.